


|| The Little Things That Make Life Worth It ||

by burntspinach (deliciouslycrzy)



Series: Between The Lines [2]
Category: Independence Day (1996), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon Gay Relationship, M/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 07:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7675990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliciouslycrzy/pseuds/burntspinach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles set before, during and after the Independence Day series. Tags will be updated as drabbles are added.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awkward Silences - David Levinson & Brackish Okun

_“What does this symbol mean?”_

David heard a sharp intake of breath and he glanced back, brow knitted together at the unfamiliar sound. Knitted together further when he saw the face that was far too familiar, awake and clearly terrified. After twenty years of seeing the man asleep and serene, it was jarring to witness the clear range of emotions that were running across Brackish’s face, and David swallowed thickly as he watched the older man clasp at his throat.

He wondered when exactly he had awoken- had it anything to do with the arrival of the ships? And where was Milton, did he know? He had to. Nothing changed in Brackish’s condition that Milton wasn’t almost immediately aware of, so he had to know that Brackish was up and walking around. And if that was true, where was he?

And then the alien screamed, and so did Brackish.

When the fog had cleared and everyone else’s attention was on the former president Whitmore’s prone form, David took the moment to look around. Brackish was no longer in the room and the only sign that he had been here were the abandoned IV bags still stuck in the doorframe.

He hesitated a moment, his gaze bobbing between the General Adams, Patty, Catherine and Dekembe before silently slipping out and into the hallway. He wasn’t currently needed in there, and he couldn’t just let it go that Brackish had disappeared, and the timing of when he had.

David didn’t have to go very far. Tucked into a small alcove a few feet away from the doors was the scientist, curled up almost as small as he had always looked in his hospital room. His eyes squeezed shut and two hands still on his throat, twined in the thick scarf looking… thing, and breath coming in ragged gasps Brackish seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he was no longer alone.

David hesitated again, chewed on the inside of his cheek as he weighed whether or not he should say something, or if he should just try and track down Milton instead, who, would probably be incredibly relieved that he had found Brackish and who would also be much better equipped to deal with this than David was.

He had never been very good at the whole comforting someone else thing.

He sighed and then eased himself into a crouch, ignoring the creaking of his joints just as easily as he ignored the voice in his head that was hissing at him to walk away. He raised a hand to touch Brackish’s shoulder, but then thought better of it and let his hand drop.

“ Are you, uh- you okay?”

The only response he got was a very shaky headbob, which he took as a no. Or a yes. Or a ‘leave me the fuck alone’. David was silent for a moment, looked between his hands and the empty hallway behind them before he tried again.

“ Uh, Brackish. Let’s get you out of here, back to your room, maybe- I’m sure Dr. Isaacs is wondering where you are.”

He cut himself off when he noticed that Brackish had opened his eyes and was staring at him. He blinked and coughed, and then tugged on his earlobe. When he focused back on the other man, he was still staring.

“… What is it?”

“ Who are you?”

“ Oh, uh-” Definitely not what he’d been expecting to hear, but it was a pleasant little surprise. Did he remember much of anything from before? Something he would have to ask later, when or if there was time. If, at this point.

He extended a hand. “ David Levinson. I’m, ah- friends with your partner, uh- Milton.”

“ Oh.” Brackish stared at his hand owlishly for a second. He still didn’t loosen his hands from the wool around his neck. Another moment passed.

And then another.

Finally, David let his hand drop again.

“Alright, uh-” He winced as he shifted and his calf cramped. He definitely was too old for this. “ Let’s go find Milton. Then I’ll find Catherine and try and figure out what this damned sphere is supposed to be.” The last part was meant for himself only, but Brackish seemed to perk up out of his daze.

“ What sphere?”


	2. things you said that made me feel like shit - Brackish Okun/Milton Isaacs

They’re both exhausted. It’s been a long week, with little time for the two of them to do little more than eat and sleep.

So when they finally make a break and are able to step away, Brackish doesn’t wait for them to be behind the relative privacy of their quarters.  “ Mmm-mm. Brackish-” Milton fingers flex against his shirt, considers pushing him away, but melts into the kiss instead. Up against the door, seconds turn to minutes as they savor one another.

When they break for air, Brackish is not expecting Milton to look regretful. His eyebrows scrunch together, and Milton let out a cough.  “ I’m meeting the Major in a few minutes. We’re going out to town. Get some air, some alcohol.”

If he hadn’t been so tired, it might not have felt as much like a slap in the face.

But it had been days since he’d gotten anything more than a few hours of sleep at a time and just as long since he and Milton had had a chance to talk about anything that didn’t involve aliens or work in general in some way. And as much as he like their work-

“ Oh.” Brackish hands drop like they’ve been burned. He must have made a face, because he sees Milton’s eyes fall, and sees him  trying to come up with something, anything to say to make the situation better.

“ I’ll go tomorrow, we can-”

“ Just- just go. Have fun. Whatever.”

“ Do you want me to bring you something?”

It’s innocuous. Milton brings him stuff all the time, and he’s usually thrilled.

“ I’m not a fucking kid, Milton. I don’t need a toy every time mommy and daddy go out without me. Just get out of here.”

“ You could have fooled me.” Milton regrets the irritated whisper immediately, Brackish can see it on his face, but i’ts too late. The words are said, and they are both too exhausted and heated up to be able to actually do anything but scowl at eachother.

“ Have a good time, Isaacs.” Brackish finally bites out, and then disappears into his room. The door doesn’t slam, but Milton hears the audible click of the lock. He groans, tries the doorknob in vain. It doesn’t budge.

“ _Shit.”_


	3. Can I open my eyes yet? Brackish Okun/Milton Isaacs

“Can I open my eyes yet?”

“ Not yet! Keep ‘em closed, Milton, or I’m going to take your jello at dinner tonight.”

Milton opened his mouth, ready to complain, when-

“Babe- babe! you know that I love surprises but you have to stop running me into things.” Milton rubbed his knee, wincing as he massaged his still tender kneecap where it had banged against the door. The wheelchair slowed, and even with his eyes closed, Milton could tell that Brackish was watching him, most likely with worry furrowing his brow.

“ Oh- uh, sorry baby, I’m just- you’re going to love this! We’re almost there.” The wheelchair picked up speed again,  but Milton could tell that they weren’t going as fast as they had been before.“ Are you okay?”

Milton smiled and reached up and back to lay his hand over Brackish’s, curled tight around the handle.

“ I’ll be fine. I just really want to know what you’ve been working so hard on- and why I wasn’t invited to participate until now.” He added, his tone pointed but mostly amused. Physical therapy took up most of his time lately, to aid the healing process and prepare himself for a prosthetic, and when he returned to their quarters he was usually too exhausted to do much more than collapse on the bed, and wake briefly when Brackish crawled into bed with him. He didn’t blame his husband for the late nights- this was one of the biggest technological leaps that humanity had ever made, and Brackish was one of the brightest men he had ever known.

But he did miss working alongside Brackish. They had worked together for over fifteen years, and there was a special kind of synchronicity that came with that sort of closeness, and he had missed it immensely when Brackish was unconscious.  The late nights, the simultaneous breakthroughs, talking each other to a new theory-

Milton was eager to get to work, even if that wasn’t the reason Brackish had busted him out of the therapy center.

Brackish left and bent down to press a quick kiss to the top of Milton’s head, not breaking stride as he did so “ You’ll see, babe. You’re gonna love it.” He repeated, and Milton felt his chest swell with happiness as the excitement radiating in Brackish’s voice.

“ I already do. “He said, chuckling softly. “ Anything that makes you this happy has to be amazing.”


	4. "Please don't make me socialize." - David Levinson/Steve Hiller

“ Steve, Steve- _Steve._ Come on, man- don’t make me do this. I’m very sick- there’s no way I can get up in front of a crowd. I’m dying in that bed right now, why would you torture me like this?” David asked, standing upright in the bathroom doorway in nothing but a towel, perfectly well and healthy besides for the very visible anxiety that was twisting his mouth into a perpetual frown.

Steven snorted, stopping in shaving his face just so he could shoot David a ‘are you fucking kidding me?’ look before turning back to the mirror. “ Don’t be a baby, man- it’s just a little speech. You talk all the time, this should be cake.”

“ I don’t know if I should be comforted or offended by that.”

“ You’re gonna do great, Dave- just use that big brain of yours and you’ll do fine.”

“ I don’t agree.”

“ Of course you don’t. Look- it’ll be fine. And if it’s not- well, fuck ‘em anyway- This is a stupid dinner. I’ll do my speech, then we can get Jasmine, make a spectacular exit, take Dylan to Disneyland and forget all about this shit.” He grinned into the mirror, and he watched as David’s face twisted from anxiety to annoyance to amusement to acceptance, all in the blink of an eye. Their eyes met, and David’s mouth twisted into a reluctant smile. Steve’s eyes flashed in victory, and then he continued,

“If we both do great and no freaks start yelling at us, we’re staying, cause they’re gonna have those little crab puff things and Jasmine loves those.” He finished, and then turned around and leveled a serious look at David. “ Okay?”

David’s eyebrows lifted as he took a step closer, leaning a hip against the sink. “ How do you know they’re going to have crab puffs?”

Steven laughed, set his razor down and moved over   
“ I’ve got my sources, and sources say that there’s gonna be crab puffs.” He began to busy himself with gathering the pieces of his dress uniform scattered as they were around the apartment, David trailing behind him absently. It was just the two of them, Jasmine and Dylan having gone ahead already.

“ Are you nervous?” David asked, and Steve wasn’t surprised that he’d picked that up.

“ Not a bit. We’re big damned heroes- they ain’t gonna laugh at us. And if they do, we just remind ‘em that we saved their lives. That’ll make them shut up.” He was nervous, but he didn’t want to say it.

“ Right. Right.” A moment passed. “ Steve?”

“ Yeah?”

“ It’s gonna be okay.”

Steve laughed and turned around, looping an arm around David’s neck and yanking him down into a kiss.

“ Course it is.”


End file.
